The present invention relates generally to vehicle braking systems, and more specifically to disc braking systems using brake pads.
Disc braking systems commonly include a disc mounted to a vehicle wheel and a caliper mounted to a non-rotational part of the vehicle. The caliper typically includes brake pads positioned on opposing sides of the disc and pistons for moving the pads into contact with the disc. During braking, the piston moves the pads into contact with the rotating disc to create friction that inhibits rotation of the disc and slows the vehicle.
Brake pads are often mounted on carrier plates that support the pads in a caliper housing. Each carrier plate typically includes an engaging surface defining an end of the carrier, and the caliper housing include a corresponding abutting surface against which the engaging surface is forced while braking A brake pad of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,318,514 and 6,648,104, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.